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AAA Michigan Lauds House Transportation Committee Vote, Michigan Another Step Closer to Ban on Texting While Driving

The legislation carries a $100 fine for the first offense, $200 for the second. The proposed bill carries no points on a driving record, and is a secondary offense, allowing police to ticket motorists for texting only if they pulled the driver over for another violation.

In addition to a vote by the full House, the next step includes sending the bill back to the Senate for a vote of concurrence. Governor Jennifer Granholm has indicated she will sign the legislation.

AAA Michigan strongly supports a text-messaging ban and continues to work in hopes of it being passed as a primary enforcement offense. "Text messaging is one of the most dangerous things a driver can do behind the wheel of a moving vehicle," said AAA Michigan Traffic Safety Manager Jack Peet. "Yet, many surveys show that an alarming number of drivers do it. "

AAA Michigan is joining AAA clubs nationwide in a campaign to pass laws in all 50 states to ban drivers from text messaging.

AAA Michigan encourages drivers to contact their representatives and express support for a text messaging ban which would include making the law a primary enforcement issue.

AAA Michigan has been involved in driving safety since its founding nearly a century ago, with activities including the AAA School safety patrol and road safety improvement programs. AAA Michigan offers travel, insurance and financial services to more than 1.6 million members in Michigan. It is part of The Auto Club Group (ACG), the largest affiliation of AAA clubs in the Midwest, with approximately 4.1 million members in eight states. ACG belongs to the national AAA federation, a not-for-profit organization with more than 51 million members in the United States and Canada.

SOURCE AAA Michigan